Torpedo-tube.



C LAURENTI.

TORPEDO TUBE. APPLICATION FILED OCT-28,1913.

1,179,848. Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

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C. LAURENTI.

TORPEDO TUBE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-28, 19x3.

1, 1 79,84z8a Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

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CESARE LAURENTI, 0F TURIN, ITALY, ASSIGNOR TO SOGIETA FIAT-SAN GIORGIO, 0F

SPEZIA, ITALY.

TORPEDO-TUBE.

7 Application filed October 28, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CnsARn LaUnnN'rI, engineer, of Turin, Italy, have lnvented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Torpedo-Tubes, of which the following is a full, clear and exact specification.

This invention relates to' torpedo tubes for launching torpedoes laterally of a vessel under water.

The small proportions of the hulls of submarine boats does not allow the torpedo tubes to be arranged transversely thereof since the breadth of a submarine is only slightly greater than that of a torpedo tube and does not give the necessary space for the loading of the torpedo.

According to this invention we provide an arrangement, which, while slightly exceeding the length and breadth of the torpedo tube proper is only of slightly larger dimensions than the torpedo to be launched and can be arranged in the compartment in which the launching is to take place.

To enable the invention to be fully understood, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side view showing torpedo tubes arranged upon a submarine vessel according to one form of the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is an end view, and Fig. l is a diagrammatical plan view illustrating the movements of the tubes.

As shown in the drawings, a pedestal 1 is provided capable of rotation about a vertical axis 12 upon a circular base plate 3, upon which latter it bears by means of rollers 2. A pair of connected torpedo launching tubes 7 are mounted on this pedestal, the top of the pedestal forming in its turn a circular platform 4 upon which a second pair of connected torpedo launching tubes 8 carried in a second pedestal 6 are mounted. The pedestal 6 is capable of rotation about the central axis 12 and bears upon said pedestal 1 by means of rollers 5. The two torpedo tubes of each pair are each mounted in a common frame 7 8, and the frame carrying each pair is capable of a limited reciprocating movement upon its respective pedestal, suitable guides being provided on the pedestals for-the frames. The movements of the upper and lower pairs of tubes, by means of which their mouths are hermetically closed against ports provided in the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

Serial No. 797,813.

sides of the vessel, must bein opposite directions. To this end, the frame of each pair of tubes is provided with a rack 20. The rack on the frame carrying the lower pair of tubes 7 gears with a pinion 11 carried on the vertical shaft 12 while the rack on the frame carrying the upper pair of tubes 8 gears with a pinion 10 as shown. The longitudinal movements of the pairs of tubes with this arrangement will be in opposite directions, and with the object of enabling each pair of tubes to be so moved independently of the other, the lower pinion 11 is carried on the solid shaft 12 and the upper pinion 10 is carried on a hollow shaft 13 surrounding said shaft 12. The solid shaft and the hollow shaft are provided at their upper ends with two gear wheels actuated by worms 15 operated by hand wheels 14:.

The torpedo tubes are mounted in the known manner with mouths hermetically closed against the usual ports in the hull. Before they are loaded it is necessary to move them back slightly. This maneuver would admit the water into the hull of the vessel if it were not for gates 16 of known construction which close the openings in the hull preventing the entry of water when the torpedo boats are withdrawn. When the tubes have been moved back from the ports they may be turned about the central axis of the pedestal to a position at right angles to their former position allowing the openings at the rear end of the tubes to be brought into a convenient position with regard to openings made in the partition of the compartment through which latter openings the torpedoes are introduced into the tubes. Since the partition is watertight, the openings must be closed by means of water tight doors after the tubes have been loaded. When the tubes have been loaded, they may be rotated through an angle of 90 by means of the hand wheels 14 and returned to their original position and advanced so that their mouths engage with the ports in the hull. Then the mouths of the tubes have been pushed home against the ports the doors 16 may be opened and the tubes are ready for the operation of launching.

In order that the torpedo may be launched with safety the launching arrangements are preferably of the known kind in which it is only possible to open the door closing the torpedo port when the launching tube is secured against said port, and the torpedo cannot be launched. until said door is open.

What I claim is:

1. An arrangement of torpedo launching tubes in pairs mounted one above the other, each pair being independently rotatable about a central vertical axis and also capa ble of independent longitudinal movement.

2. A torpedo launching tube, a pedestal in which said tube is longitudinally slidable, said pedestal being rotatable on a vertical axis, a port-frame, and means for longitudinally sliding said tube in and out of contact with said port-frame, said means comprising a worm adapted to lock said tube in position against said port-frame.

3. A pair of torpedo launching tubes arranged with their mouths extending in opposite directions, means for mounting said tubes to turn around a vertical axis, and means for longitudinally moving said tubes.

4:. A pair of torpedo launching tubes arranged with their mouths extending in opposite directions, means for mounting said tubes to turn around a vertical axis, and means for independently moving said tubes longitudinally.

5. A plurality of torpedo launching tubes mounted one above the other, means for Copies of this mounting said tubes to turn about a vertical axis, and means for independently adjusting said tubeg longitudinally.

6. Torpedo launching mechanism comprising two pairs of tubes, each pair being mounted one above the other, means for moving the said tubes about a vertical axis, and means for independently moving said pairs of tubes longitudinally.

7. A Jlurality of torpedo tubes mounted to turn on the same vertical axis, said tubes being independently movable around the axis.

8. A plurality of torpedo tubes mounted to turn on the same vertical axis, said tubes being independently movable around the axis and independently movable longitudinally thereof.

9. A plurality of torpedo tubes mounted to turn on the same vertical axis, said tubes being independently movable around the axis, and means for independently moving said tubes longitudinally.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CESAR-E LAURENTI.

WVitnesses FELICE BAZE'ITA,

C. L. TEYLES.

patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

